Kiermaier on HR-robbing catch vs. Padres: No one else 'can do what I can'
Kevin Kiermaier added another jaw-dropping catch to his stellar resume Monday night.
The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder stole a home run against the San Diego Padres after catcher Francisco Mejia sent a drive deep to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth:
Kevin. Kiermaier. 👏 pic.twitter.com/vvh1VtDphf
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2019
The two-time Gold Glove winner was beaming with confidence postgame when asked about the catch following the Rays' 10-4 win.
"I always say if you want this elite reputation, you've got to make elite plays," Kiermaier said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "And I think that was an elite play. Still always trying to make a case that I just don't think anyone else can do what I can do out there.''
Kiermaier also got into the details of how he made the gravity-defying grab.
"You have to get to Point B, being the ball there," he said, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. "You have to put yourself in a position and time your jump. I think that might be the most important key to the whole play because if you don't do that, then you can hit the wall or jump in too soon and the ball just sneaks over, so I did everything the perfect way, to be honest."
Kiermaier added, "It's another notch in the belt. It's one of my better catches," according to Topkin.
The 29-year-old has been popping up on highlight reel shows for years thanks to plays like the one against the Padres, and this one from earlier this season against the Toronto Blue Jays:
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